I am very passionate about music education for a number of reasons, of which there are too many to write about here. Learning to play a musical instrument is so good for every part of you. There are huge benefits for people of any age and lots of recent research to support this. Playing a musical instrument uses more parts of your brain simultaneously than any other activity. How amazing!

I also love the social and community aspects of playing music. It is a wonderful form of self-expression that can touch other people in a very unique way. One of the best parts of my job is watching the progress of my students, especially when they have developed the skill and confidence to get up and perform in front of others.

I try to inspire and motivate my students by creating an encouraging and positive environment for learning. I strongly believe that students can strive to do their best and achieve their own personal learning goals while having a lot of fun. For children, I have many teaching aids (musical toys and games) that are pedagogically age appropriate and help a great deal with learning. For adult beginners who can feel a bit nervous and put on the spot when learning something new, I aim to make them feel at ease and reassure them that it is OK to make mistakes. I still make plenty of them every time I practise.